Maya Angelou Research Paper

Maya Angelou ; the poet. The woman we all knew but let’s get to know Marguerite Ann Johnson a woman who faced much adversity and was mute for 5 years. The fascinating woman who taught us that “People may forget what you’ve done but they will never forget how you made them feel” and we won’t forget how Marguerite Ann Johnson aka Maya Angelou made us feel though her poetry . Here’s her story…

Born on April 4th 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri to Vivian Baxter and Bailey Johnson. Her brother Bailey called her “Mya sister”. Her nickname was shortened into Mya which is what we knew her as. At an early age , she faced adversity being a black girl in the Deep South. When Maya was 3 years old she was sent to live with her Grandmother because of

The adjustment was difficult for Marguerite and Bailey , Marguerite often woke up in the middle of the night with nightmares and Bailey began stuttering . Maya would crawl into bed with her mom and Mr.Freeman. One day ,while Maya’s mother was at work a terrible thing happened which would leave a horrible effect on Maya . Mr.Freeman would rape 8 year old Marguerite. He threatened her saying if she told anyone he would killed Bailey the person who she loved the most. During the first few days of being molested she suffered pain She felt guilt and confusion being so young she didn’t know that Mr.Freeman could be punished for the horrible thing he had done. Marguerite stayed in bed for several days but, her mother later found the sheets and they showed what happened to her. Maya was immediately taken to the hospital .Mr.Freeman was put on trial and declared guilty ,he was sentenced to one year and one day . When he was allowed to make arrangements before serving his sentence he was beaten to death in a vacant parking lot. Eight year old Marguerite felt as though it was her fault , she was scared that if she spoke it lead to harm . So she decided not to speak at all for the next 5 years. One day at the groceries store she meet a woman named Bertha Flower she taught Marguerite the importance of spoken and the power of them. At nine years old, Maya

Marguerite attended a school where she was one of three African American students , At 14 Maya attended California Labor School through a scholarship where she studied drama and dance . The summer when Maya was 15 years old she went to San Diego, California to visit her father. Her father had a girlfriend Dolores Stockland and from the time they met Maya and Dolores didn’t get along . Maya and Dolores ended up having a physical altercation ,, Maya was cut on the hand and she was immediately put out. Maya didn’t want to stay with strangers so she wandered the streets, she met some street kids at junkyard. After living as a runaway for six weeks Maya wanted to go home so she called her mother and she sent her a ticket back to San Francisco.When Maya returned she found that her mother did not approve of Bailey’s friends and there was friction between the two then Bailey finally moved out. In 1944, when Maya was now 16 she got a job as a conductor to earn money instead of attending school but, she later quit and returned to school. Being sixteen Maya was tall and underdeveloped compared to girls her age .Her big feet ,deep voice and skinny legs caused a lack of confidence so She seeked feminism through sex.She thought it would make her a “normal woman” she choose a boy in her neighborhood to be her partner. After this experience she realized that it didn’t change anything . Maya ended up pregnant, she concealed her